


Nekosama

by Felidae5



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Abuse, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mental Breakdown, Mild Gore, OOCness, Regression, Slow Burn, Violetshipping, WIP, conditioning(sort of)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-02
Updated: 2020-09-11
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:27:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 13
Words: 18,683
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22077703
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Felidae5/pseuds/Felidae5
Summary: Originally posted toA Dragon's Lairand betaed by Talon, it is basically a story about lost and found. What was lost and what is found? Ja, you just gotta read for yourself...This story is highly inspired by the early manga, respectively season one/zero of the anime.
Relationships: Jounouchi Katsuya | Joey Wheeler/Kaiba Seto
Comments: 10
Kudos: 10





	1. 1

1

°I love days like these; when the sun shines, the air is crisp and fresh and everybody is wearing a smile.  
Especially, because it’s +Keiro no Hi, so there’s no school, I’m off-duty and free to do as I please.  
But, what I enjoy most of all is, that I don’t have to regress to the happy-go-lucky-dumb-blond role I forced upon myself.  
Sauntering about my turf, musing about life, I walk by the docks and spot the newbies.  
They’re not from here, that much’s for sure.  
Ever since Hirutani, my ex-gang leader, died and I took over his territory, I have been slowly, but steadily adding area by area to my little empire.  
One might wonder, how I managed to gain this much power in such a short amount of time.  
By defeating the respective gang leaders, of course.  
Actually, it’s quite simple; I challenge the local head honcho, beat him into a bloody pulp, and his henchmen will gladly flock around yours truly, declaring me their new boss.  
If they’re smart enough to value their lives.  
Every thug in the entire Domino district knows and follows these rules, which means, these guys must be from outside, possibly Yao or Kishiwada.   
Deciding to give them the benefit of the doubt, I calmly stride over to where they’re loitering about the old Boso pisciculture.°

The two men tensed up, then moved away from the battered steel door they had been leaning against, and walked toward Jou.  
Squinting his eyes against the sun, the blond gave a friendly smile and asked:  
“You’re new here, ne? Or are you just being rude?”  
Baffled, the strangers gaped at the teen, who gave an exasperated sigh and explained:  
“This is my turf, gentlemen. Everything from the old docks, including the harbor, until Kumata Road is mine. So the least I expect of you goons is to pay me respect. Or _just_ pay me.”  
A second or two passed; his vis-à-vis stared blankly at him, then the couple broke into loud guffaws.  
However, their laughter soon died down, when Jou didn’t flinch or budge, but kept giving them a calm, enigmatic smile.  
Trying to cover up his nervousness, the younger of the two men made a threatening step towards the blond, and snapped:  
“Have you lost your mind or are you only high? Who the heck do you think you are, you little punk, ordering us around? I’m gonna-“  
The punch was hard enough to make the dark-haired man bend over in pain, but before he even realized what was happening, a sharp blow to his jaw sent the goon sprawling on the pavement.  
His companion was at his side in a wink, helping him up and glaring daggers at Jounouchi, who stood there, poised and relaxed, his body not giving any indication to the short fight.  
Not even his breathing had quickened.

°I shiver in delight; I can see the uncertainity and fear in their eyes, trying to figure out if they can overpower me.  
They can’t, not without a gun, anyway.  
And they know it.  
Lowering my head, I give them my ‘smile’; the one I rarely show, and never outside my territory or around anyone I care.  
And watch in satisfaction, as their jaws drop.°

Keeping his carnal smirk in place, the blond drawled:  
“Since you’re new, I’ll go out of my ways and give you three days to either pay up or leave. If you’re still here on the third day, I expect you to have both the deposit as well as the first two rents at hand.”  
Finally, the elder man spoke up.  
Gritting his teeth, he hissed:  
“What kind of fucked-up bastard are you? This isn’t your home, you can’t just throw your weight around as if you owned the place! I haven’t seen your name on any of these shacks.”  
Cocking a blond brow, the teen pointed silently to the storage building behind them, or rather, at the large, stunningly life-like graffiti of a black dragon with crimson eyes bearing a blood-red family crest on its chest.  
The goons looked from the image to the teen and back, not knowing what to make of all this.  
Taking pity of his confused opponents, Jou growled:  
“Three days. Fifty-thousand cash or gone. You don’t wanna face the consequences.”  
He turned to leave, when the elder of the two men shouted:  
“Ma-matte, wait! Fifty grand? Are you nuts? How the hell can we get that much cash in three days?”  
Casting a cold glare over his shoulder, Jou growled:  
“I don’t know and don’t care.”  
Walking away, he insisted:  
“Three days.”

°I shudder again, this time in satisfaction.  
Yuugi is right; bullying people is wrong and vile.  
But bullying bullies, now, _that’s_ an entirely different matter.  
Gives your ego a huge boost, putting guys twice your weight in their place.  
Not to mention, you get a whole lot of respect from everybody else.  
Whistling, I continue on my way.  
These two guys should not prove to be a problem.°

Clutching his hurting stomach, the younger man staggered to his feet.  
“The kid’s..tougher-than he looks, Matsuo.”  
His elder companion nodded.  
“We better inform the boss about this. If the guy is the local gang leader, we’d better try not to rouse his anger, or he’ll show up with his pack and blow our cover. Come on, Tadashi.”   
The two men returned to the door they had been keeping watch on before Jou arrived.  
Raising his fist, Matsuo knocked three times, paused, knocked twice and then rapped his knuckles five times over the shabby construction.  
A high, whining screech echoed across the empty docks, as the door swung open.

The next morning saw Yuugi-tachi around his desk, chatting amiably, save for Jou, that was.   
A split-second before the tardy bell rang, the blond came rushing into the classroom, gasping and sweating for all he was worth. Collapsing into his seat, he heard the annoyed tutter of Anzu, but before she could open her mouth to chastitise him about sleeping in, the teacher entered, and the girl was quick to scurry to her own place.  
Adressing the pupils, the sensei flipped through her files and announced:  
“Kaiba-kun will not attend class for an..unknown period of time, seeing as he is on an extended business trip. All projects and assignments including his participation will be delayed until his return.”  
Jounouchi got two hours of detention.  
Then again, whooping, applauding _and_ doing a victory dance was a tad bit exaggerated…

He awoke to a world of pain and darkness.  
Everything hurt, his entire body felt as if it were on fire.  
He tried to move, but found himself too weak to even speak.  
It took all the strength he had, just to blink his eyes open.  
More darkness welcomed him.  
And more pain.  
That was all there was.  
Darkness and pain.  
Pain and darkness.  
Darkness.  
…dark…

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°  
Again, Jounouchi here is a throwback to his gang years. There is one pic from the manga that is totally badass, where he catches a knife thrown at him with his teeth.  
https://www.bing.com/th/id/OIP.IL2TY8Rbxi5Rl-SUIXbgUQHaHL?w=172&h=167&c=7&o=5&pid=1.7  
This is not a guy you fuck around with.

+Keiro no Hi: Respect for the Elder day


	2. 2

2

“Disappeared?” echoed Yuugi-tachi, who stood assembled in Kaiba’s private office on the top floor of the Kaiba Tower.  
Mokuba, slate-grey eyes blood-shot and puffy, nodded.  
“Hai, he didn’t return from a business meet last week. The director’s board faked this whole ‘business trip’story to keep the public and press off of our backs, while the police searches for him.”  
“Not to mention, to keep the stocks from dropping”,   
muttered Jou under his breath, and flushed bright red, when everybody present cast him an angry glare.  
Clearing his throat, he asked:  
“But what’s that got to do with anyone of us? I mean, if Kaiba decided to go on vacation-“  
“He was abducted”, interrupted Isono sternly, and Jou gasped, then frowned in confusion.  
“Abducted? You mean-kidnapped?”   
hushed Yuugi incredulous, even as Anzu clasped her hands before her mouth. Honda’s eyes darted from Mokuba to Isono and back, before he managed:  
“Kid...napped? Kaiba? But, why? I mean-“  
“Honda’s right, I mean, who in his right mind would kidnap _Kaiba_? Yeah, sure, he’s rich and all, but why not Mokuba, I mean, uhh…”  
Jou trailed off, when he saw the boy’s eyes tear up, and mentally slapped himself for being so inconsiderate.  
Hanging his head in shame, he gave a quiet “gomen”, as he retreated to the far end of the office.  
Kaiba’s trusty assistant pinched the bridge of his nose in irritation, explaining:  
“Seto-sama’s Maserati was found near the freeway exit, abandoned and locked. Inside, the police found, aside of the car keys, his trench coat and briefcase as well as his purse, cell phone, keyring, Rolex and locket.”  
He waited a moment to let the information sink in, before he continued:  
“Whoever abducted Seto-sama, was interested in him and him alone. This conjecture is strengthened by the fact that there has been no ransom demand or any other information, as of yet.”  
Mokuba stepped forward, expression too grim for a child his age.  
“Seto was kidnapped by someone, who holds a deep grudge against him and wants to see him suffer. This isn’t about business, but strictly personal.”  
Five pairs of eyes turned to the blond leaning against the window, who looked back in puzzlement, before he caught on to what the younger Kaiba was implying.   
Throwing his hands up in defense, he shouted:  
“Whoa, hold it right there, 'kay? Why should I kidnap Kaiba in the first place? Sure, it’s not like we could stand each other, but he sure ain’t worth the trouble or going to jai-“  
He cut himself short, realizing, he was just driving himself deeper into the pit.  
Mokuba shook his head.  
“We know it wasn’t you, seeing as we were together at Yuugi’s place, watching NOIR, remember?”  
“Oh, yeah,” Yuugi shuddered, “I remember all too well.”  
Jou sighed in relief.  
“Ja, told ya it wasn’t me.”  
Isono pinned him down through his sunglasses.  
“Although you _were_ a prime suspect. We checked, who else might be considerably responsible for this crime and found a few…candidates.”  
“Let me guess,” stated Honda flatly, “Crawford, ne?”  
Yuugi and Isono both shook their heads, the duelist explaining:  
“No, Pegasus told me that the reason he abducted oji-san and Mokuba in the first place, was to force me and Kaiba-kun into our respective destinies.”  
Anzu blinked at him.  
“You talked to him? Where? When?”  
Yuugi shook his head anew.  
“I didn’t. He wrote me a letter, explaining himself, so I don’t really think it was him.”  
“Besides,” butted Jou in,  
”both Kaiba and Otogi are shareholders of Industrial Illusions, and it’s never smart to piss off your bussiness partners, ne? Which takes Ryuji out of the picture as well. Which leaves only who, von Schroeder?”  
There was a stunned silence, as the entire group gaped slack-jawed at the blond.  
Who crossed his arms before his chest and huffed:  
“Nan de? I got a brain too, ya know?”  
“Hai, but it’s not like you use it too often”, deadpanned Mokuba, causing the blond to flinch and clutch his chest in mock-pain.  
“And you, kiddo?” he whimpered tearfully.  
Rolling his eyes, the raven-tressed boy continued:  
“Siegfried has been under heavy surveillance ever since the Kaiba Grand Prix; he can’t even sneeze without us knowing it. And we made sure to let him _know_ that.”  
“Besides,” added Isono,   
"we know that Seto-sama is still within the vicinity, and I’m sure that von Schroeder would have moved him out of the country, the very moment he laid hands on him.”  
“How do you know that Kaiba is still in Domino?” piped Anzu up, making both Isono and Mokuba smile.  
“Simple: nii-san’s got a chip imbedded, just like me, Isono and the rest of the Kaiba household and director’s board.”  
Four jaws dropped, then Honda spluttered:  
“I-imbedded chips? You-you mean, like the animals in the zoo?”  
Anzu moved her mouth several times, before she stammered:  
“That-that-“   
“That’s just-creepy. Not to mention sick”, concluded Jou, wide-eyed.  
Isono merely shrugged.  
“As long as the chip is within a five kilometer radius of either the Kaiba Tower or –Mansion, it remains inactive. When stepping outside that margin, you have one hour to enter your personal code, or else the security council will step into action and send in the retrieving forces.”  
“What if the chip was removed?” asked Yuugi.  
Isono shook is head.  
“Just the same, when there is no more-I mean, if the life signs…cease,”   
the elder man shot his ward/vice-president a nervous glance,  
”every single sentry we have at our dispense would raise heaven and hell, because such an- _occurrence_ would trigger a Code Red alarm.”  
Tilting his head back, he sighed:   
“Not that they’re not already out there, combing the entire town acribicly. They’re professionals, after all. Which is precisely the problem. So are Seto-sama’s captors, and they know exactly what to look out for. They’ll know from a distance if someone is or has been with the force or not. This is where _you_ come in.”   
Yuugi-tachi exchanged confused looks.  
“We? But how could _we_ be of help, I mean, it’s not as if we got any experience-“  
“And that’s the entire point!” proclaimed Mokuba.  
“A bunch of grown men traipsing about town, trying to blend in and pulling the whole profiler stuff on anyone they meet, are simply too conspicious. But a couple of kids turning Domino upside-down to find a little kitty, that’s so normal, no one will even _assume_ you’re looking for nii-san.”  
With that, he pulled a wrinkled page from his jeans pocket and unfolded it, showing it to the stunned teens.  
‘ _Have you seen me?_ ’ read the header, underneath it was a printed picture of a young siamese cat spread elegantly on a soft, blue cushion.  
“’Who has found my little Shoukei? Was last seen on Thursday, September 14th, near the industrial area, please call’-hey, that’s _my _number!” read Yuugi incredulous. Jou couldn’t help but snicker at the name.  
“’Blue elder brother’? Kaiba’s gonna have your ass for this, Mokuba.”  
“You have no idea how much I _wish_ for that to happen” whispered the boy.   
All fell silent upon hearing the loneliness in those words.__

__Move, I can’t…move, where-am I?  
All I see is light and more light and cold steel and..and silhouettes, my eyes-my eyes, what is wrong with my eyes-  
“-subject has awakened. Should we resedate?”  
“No, the painkillers are still active, and the fine surgery is done. All we have to do now, is to insert the hooks.”  
Surgery? Insert hooks? What are they-no, no, get those away from me, no, not my eyes, not my eyes, leave me be, or I-^_ _

__°“I’m not here to raise the rent, I’m not _that_ mean” I growl, as I pull a sheet from my jacket and shove it into Matsuo’s face.  
If they’re not trying to take over my territory or flex their muscles, the Boso Couple, as I call them, are actually quite reasonable, although I have no idea what exactly they’re doing here.  
According to my scouts(hey, can’t rule a kingdom without knowing what’s going on), all these guys do is hang around all day, doing nothing.  
Once in a while one of them will step out or go get some food, but otherwise, they just..lounge about.  
Matsuo shakes his head.  
“Ie, sorry, ain’t seen any like that around here. I’ll let you know when I do.”  
“Is there a reward?”  
Hmmph.   
Tadashi’s both greedy and stupid, not to mention sassy, but I’ll let it slip for once.  
Rolling the flyer and handing it to Matsuo, I answer:  
“Depends on the condition of the cat. If it’s dead, you’ll be lucky if the owner doesn’t skin you alive.”  
I walk away, deciding to keep a closer eye on those two.  
If they’re into drugs, they’ll _beg_ for me to skin them alive.  
Drugs are a strict no-no on my turf.°_ _

__°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°  
Yes, Jounouchi has standards. Sort of. Though the extortion racket does raise some questions..._ _


	3. 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One more lenghty chapter, before we put in a break. Enjoy!

3

^“-running genom codecs No. 3869450, test subject AA-25I-17, initiating PCR.”  
“-far is the electrophoresis?”  
“-section eight has been altered, if the ligation-“  
My head…spinning.  
Hurting.  
I try to raise from the spot I’m lying, but-my legs are..too weak.  
Lightning, like a-bolt of-electricity in-my spine…my-back is..on..fire.  
Pain, must focus..past the-pain…  
The floor..so cold..I need...to get up.  
I-can see-the door.  
Steel bars.  
Simple..simple…electronic lock.  
Simple.  
But the-pain.  
Agony…  
Lightning-^

Yuugi plopped down on the couch in his home, Anzu and Honda collapsing left and right of him.  
Flat on his belly, Jou came crawling into the living room, wheezing:  
“Food..need..food..and..water-pleease..!”  
“Cut if off” clipped Anzu,  
”we’re all exhausted. There’s no need for you to put on a show.”  
Honda stretched languidly.  
“Jou’s got a point; a cup of tea and some riceballs wouldn’t hurt. Got anything decent in the house, Yuug’?”  
Tri-colored tresses flew wildly from side to side.  
“Ie, but it’s my turn to cook dinner, anyway. How about you help me and stay for food?”  
A flash of gold, white and blue, and then Jou’s voice rang out from the kitchen:  
“What the hell you guys waiting for?”

^Light.  
There is always light.  
And pain.  
I can’t sleep.  
They..don’t allow it.  
I sit..lie..face-down.  
I can see..needles..infusions..in my arms.   
I..feel them in my neck, my face, my eyes-  
“-remove tissue from his postcentral gyrus, then begin stimulation of Brocal center.”  
Inside my brai-!^

Mokuba wobbled, then caught himself on the rim of the table.  
Gazing out the window, he whispered:  
“Nii-san?”  
“Mokuba-san? Daijoubu ka?” asked a gruff voice.  
Nodding absent-mindedly, he returned his attention to Isono and Nakamura, his chief security counselor and personal bodyguard, who stood over the plasma screen imbedded in Kaiba’s large desk.  
Letting his calloused fingers slide over the smooth surface, Nakamura outlined the current situation.  
“Up to date, the entire industrial area, the totality of the Yumahashi hotel quarter and adjacent streets have been searched; we have scouts covering the whole market down to Domino Central and the stadiums, as well as the park and harbor face. Yuugi-tachi have taken charge of the living quarters, including the _elder_ part of town.”  
He sneered slightly at the mentioning of the group; obviously he didn’t trust the teens as far as he could spit.  
Isono, seeing Mokuba frown, decided to intervene before Nakamura said something he would regret.  
“At least now we know how Seto-sama was captured. According to witnesses, a deroute had been set up, _supposedly_ because the road signings had to be redone.”  
Mokuba snorted.  
“Let me guess; the highway board department doesn’t know a thing about a deroute or repaint, ne?”  
Isono shook his head, as did Nakamura.  
The younger Kaiba groaned.  
“I can just see it; Seto comes from the meeting and wants to take the short-cut to get home faster, sees the deroute and slows down. Some guy in a uniform waves him to the side, nii-san pulls over and stops. He lowers the window to yell at the worker and-bang! gets a facefull of mace or something like that, ne? Before he can react or defend himself, the guy’s already over him, probably with a tazer or something. Nii-san fights back, but the guy has a companion or two -probably two, considering how good a fighter Seto is- who hold him down until he’s unconcious. They strip him of anything that could be tracked down by our system, toss him in the trunk of their van, and take off without a trace. How am I doing so far?”  
His assistant and the bodyguard just gaped at him, before Isono‘s brows shot up into his hairline and Nakamura croaked:  
“Damn, Mokuba-san, you hit it dead on! You haven’t by chance read the police report, have you?”   
Mokuba glared and Isono cringed.  
When would Nakamura ever learn, that the raven-haired teen was almost as smart as his brother?

Yuugi picked absent-mindedly through his lunch and sighed.  
“How many days now?”  
Honda shrugged, listlessly pushing noodles, carrots and fried tofu around on his plate.  
Anzu gazed at her salad, as if it held the answers to life, mumbling:  
“Eighteen, according to Mokuba.”  
Jou took a bite of his anago, then threw his chopsticks on the tray.  
“Shitfuck!” he growled and stormed out the mensa, his friends watching in confusion.  
“Whatever is _his_ problem?” mumbled Anzu.  
Both Yuugi and Honda sighed, knowing that, on a deep, subconcious level, Jou considered Kaiba something akin to a sparring partner.  
And partners look out for one another.

°I’m missing a clue, I know I do.  
Just what is it?  
Must have been something I saw or heard, something I did, but I can’t grasp it.  
Everytime I think now I got it, it dances out of my reach, laughs and mocks me, driving me nuts.  
And I know it’s something vital, something important concerning Kaiba…  
Suddenly, a wave of nausea washes over me, causing me to stumble and almost crash into the nearest wall.  
“What the fuck..?”°

^The steel was cold and sharp, as was the voice, biting into his flesh, tearing open the skin and slicing through his left thigh.  
“-various stimuli on the according body parts show reactions in both primary and secondary sensoric cortexes, the chemical stimuli provoke heightened activity of the synapses and gangliae-“  
Kaiba’s mouth opened in a silent cry, when the blade moved from his leg and bore into his ribcage.^

Sapphire eyes, calm and deep as the ocean, gazed fondly into his own.  
Closing his storm-grey orbs, Mokuba sighed and clutched his locket tighter.  
‘O-nii-san, I know you’re still alive. I just know it.’  
Giving a last, forlorn glance at the picture of his sibling, they boy closed the pendant and let his sight wander over the sleeping town.  
“Where are you, Seto?”  
Above, the stars twinkled as they had for eons; cold and distant, indifferent to the boy’s silent prayers.

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°  
On this somber note, I'm taking a break from this fic. Please read and review and tell me what you think of the story so far, arigatou.


	4. 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Back again, mostly from Seto's pov(^).

4 

Twenty-six.  
Twenty-six days, and still there was no sign of Kaiba.  
Slamming his palms on the desk, Isono fumed,  
“And you have the audacitiy to stand there and tell me about ‘progress’ and ‘clues’! Seto-sama has been gone for almost a month, you have been turning this entire town over and back again, and all you can offer me are his _clothes?!?_ ”  
Nakamura winced.  
It was extremely rare that the normaly so unperturbed, dignified man lost his contenance, but when he did, even Kaiba would think twice about giving a sharp retort.  
Then again, seeing how Isono considered the teenaged CEO the closest thing to the son he never had, Nakamura understood his feelings very well, yes, even shared them to a certain degree.  
Still, this didn’t help Kaiba any.  
Dropping into the seat next to him, Isono removed his sunglasses and buried his face in his hands.  
His fingers gently massaged his tired eyes, as he rasped,  
“We _need_ to find him. We have to. Even if it means that I personally have to pick apart every single closet, bedroom, cellar and attic in the entire prefecture.”  
Grey-brown eyes, freckled with green, trained in on the security chief.  
“We must find him, no matter what.”

^“Hold him down, while I insert tranquilizer-“  
“The subject is quite volatile, I think we should strap him down.”  
“Whatever, just see to it that he doesn’t break lo -uhn, ok, that will be enough! Call reinforcement, we will need to subdue him by force!”  
“Shouldn’t we reconsider-aghh, he bit me!”  
“Bring a gag! And the stunner!”  
“Hold him, he’s trying to run!”  
“Impossible, not with the amount of sedative we injected!”  
“I got -agh! I got him, hold him down! Bring the stunner! And the straps!”  
“Where the hell are those straps!”  
“Stunner on the way, maximum dosage!”  
“Careful, we need him-“  
…  
…  
…”knmwoom, mwpako-o put up such a fight. Are we done?”   
“Hai, sensei. Sperm sample Nr. eight from subject AA-25I-17 retrieved. We can now begin with the marrow derivation.”^

Something was off.  
He just couldn’t put his finger on it.  
Eyes narrowed, Jou watched the Boso Couple basically lying around the old compound and sipping tea, respectively water, from pet bottles.  
There were no needles, butts or foils to be found, yet Jou couldn’t shake the feeling, Matsuo and his companion were into drugs.  
How else could they have afforded to pay him the demanded fifty-thousand Yen?  
And if they could whip up this much money in only three days, why not just rent a flat?   
Why crash in a seedy old pisciculture, where the risk of being bitten by a rat was higher than ever seeing a fish?  
Yet, none of his sources had heard anything about a new drug flood flushing the town.  
But if they weren’t trading cocaine & co, what else?  
Sulkily rasing from where he was crouched in hiding, Jou began his long walk home, brooding all the way.

Exhausted.  
There was no other way to describe it.  
Numbly gazing at Mokuba laying his head on the table before him, Isono couldn’t help the small smile tilting his lips.  
Considering his age and limited experience, the boy did pretty well as vice-director.  
Yet, without Seto, the company could only be that successfull.  
Already, the investors were beginning to grow nervous, and the directors’ board had a hard time convincing them that everything was a-okay.  
“Well, Mokuba-san, you did very well with the exchange supervisory authority. And here the financial comitee was already worried that you did not know what you were doing. I’m certain, come tomorrow, Wall Street will be trading you as the newest-“  
Mokuba would never know as what he would be traded, for he had fallen asleep the very moment his head met the polished mahogany.  
Gently cradling the dormant boy in his arms, Isono carried Mokuba to his room and tucked him into bed.  
Turning off the lights, he heard the ebon-haired boy settle underneath his comforters, a single word escaping his lips.  
“Seto…”

^“Please note: after eighteen days of sleep deprivation, the subject shows all signs of physical exhaustion. The cognitive abilites, however, remain stable as result of the latest series of B8-Cauldron. The limbic system as well as the thalamus show heightened activity, while the Warnicke-fields slightly decelerate due to the subject’s refusal to verbally communicate. However, the gyri in the rear left lobe show various stages of degeneration; at this point it would be well-advised to terminate all running tests-”  
Stupid.  
They’re stupid to think tampering..with my brain would slow down my mind.  
I does not, not without a full lobotomy, anyway.  
Even then, I would outsmart them all.  
I know how to get out.   
I know the code.  
I only have to wait for the right moment.  
And once I’m free, I will get even.  
No one uses Kaiba Seto as guinea pig and gets away unscathed.  
“-REM-conducts under increased supply of ATP and glyco- why is subject AA-25I-17 smiling?”  
You are dead.^

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°  
...reads a tad bit like a medical text book, ne? Let me know what you think.


	5. 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One heck of a long, action-packed chapter, as..nope, not gonna spoil.

5

He frowned.  
“And you’re sure, it was a trawler?” asked Jou incredulous.  
His opposite, a boy of maybe thirteen years, gave an enthusiastic nod.  
“Yeah, it’s been here already six times, or so. The two limeys help unloading it, and then it takes off again.”  
Jou scratched his blond hair in irritation; there was that odd gnawing in the back of his head again…  
“You didn’t manage to get a closer look at the cargo, ne?”  
The boy shurgged.  
“Not really, there was lots of electronic stuff written on the boxes, though, and-ara, Jou-san, where are you off to?”  
The blond didn’t even bother answering, but ran as fast as he could.  
Suddenly, everything clicked into place.

\---

“How could he possibly have escaped? He was sedated.”  
“Apparently, the dosage was not strong enough, or his body has began to grow accustomed to it. Still, I am amazed that he figured out the code to his cell. Then again, taking in consideration his extreme intelligence…”  
“Irrelevant. We need to retrieve him. He is too valuable for our project. Alert the guards.”

\---

“You are absolutely certain about this?”  
Jou nodded.  
“Hai. It’s the perfect hideaway. The complex runs about five-hundred squaremeters, but the bulk of the factory is subterranean. It has its own power supply and is heavily shielded, since it used to be a submarine shipyard during the war. After the fire eight years ago, the sub-basements were sealed off, because the government didn’t want hoboes and kids to get lost down there. Can’t blame them, though, it’s one huge maze.”  
Mokuba scowled, but it was Isono who asked:  
“Wasn’t it you personally, who reported that the docks had been searched, as well? Twice even? If that is the case, how can you be so certain, Seto-sama is being held there?”  
Jou sighed.  
“Because two of the four sub-basements are flooded -well, not exactly flooded, but you sure get wet feet when taking a stroll through the lowest level. I’m sure there are some dry places, but who in his right mind would go down there?”  
Nakamura frowned.  
“How come, _you_ know so much about this place?”  
Jou smiled sadly.  
“My father was chief technical advisor, before they closed down the pisciculture. I’ve spent practically my whole childhood roaming around down there.”

\---

^Tired.  
I’m so tired.  
All I want..is to lie down and sleep.  
But then they would recapture me and make sure, I can’t escape.  
Probably by breaking my legs.  
Or rather, cutting them off.  
I saw, what they did..to the others.  
At least, I still got my fingers.^

\---

For a regiment of more than fourty armed men, the Kaiba Security Corps moved with uncanny stealth.  
Tadashi and Matsuo had been overpowered, before they had been able to do so much as flinch.  
Currently, the teams were inspecting the surroundings, making sure there was no ambush.  
Mokuba, Isono and Jou watched from a save distance.  
“Thank you” mumbled the blond.  
Mokuba blinked.  
“What for?”  
“For believing me. Although I can’t promise you that he’s really here. Half of me wants me to be right, and the other-“  
“I know what you mean,” hushed Mokuba,   
“a part of me still wishes that it’s all a bad dream.”  
Nakamura walked up to them, fumbling with his headset.  
“The supernal vicinites have been secured and cleared. We’re ready to move to the lower basements-“  
“I’m coming with you”, declared Jou, face and eyes dark.  
The security chief blinked, then snorted.  
“Jounouchi-kun, as much as I appreciate your help in this matter, I don’t think it wise to let you-“  
“You can either let me come along or I’ll sneak in myself. Either way, I’m going in” interrupted the blond.  
Nakamura drew a quick breath, but before he could protest, Mokuba declared:  
“Jounouchi knows the place best. He will guide you through the building.”  
The elder man stared in disbelief at the young vice-president, then locked eyes with Isono.  
Who gave a curt, agreeing nod, although his frown was identically disapproving as the security chief’s.  
Frowning, Nakamura reached for his holster.  
Losening the straps, he gave the weapon to Jou, who took it with a grateful mumble.  
“You sure you know how to handle this?” asked Nakamura, handing him two spare municlips.   
And almost did a double-take, when Jou flashed him a truly demonic grin.  
“Do ducks fly?”

\---

His walk had slowed down to a stagger.  
Steading himself against the wall, Kaiba tried to catch his breath for the eight time in as many minutes.  
He could hear commotion in the coridors; hurried steps echoing through the halls, and knew, he needed to keep moving.  
Just two more steps and he was around the corner and out of sight…for the moment.

\---

The troopers hadn’t been too happy to have a ‘kid’ leading them, but once they realized that Jou was as careful and stealthy as any one of them, at least some of their worries evaluated.  
“Here Captain Okubo to all teams; the seals of the first, second and third hatches in the first sector have been breached. Team Alpha, go in and secure sectors two and three, team Gamma, you’re backup. Team Delta searches for possible set-up.”

°It’s times like these I’m glad, I used to be Hirutani’s hitman.  
Ok, I admit, hitman is probably too great a word, but I was the only one in the gang who had the guts to.. _do_ stuff.  
Not that I’m proud of it or anything, far from that, but I always got the job done.  
Moving through the darkened halls, I can feel that old, familiar tingle settle in my senses, as my body moves from shadows and niches forwards through those tunnels I know so well.  
It’s almost creepy how easily I slip back into my old role; even the gun in my hand feels strangely comforting.  
Like saying, y’ know, ‘hey, where you been all this time?’  
And I’m not really sure, if I should be unsettled by this.°

\---

The stairs had been the worst part.  
He had fallen twice, but now at least he had found a small shelter; a booth of sorts containing a fire extinguisher and a phone.  
How great were the chances that it worked?  
Smiling despite his hazardous situation, Kaiba steadied himself with one hand while reaching for the reciever with the other.  
The hearer slipped from his clam fingers and banged against the steely container beneath it.  
The sound made the brunet press his hands agains this sensitive ears and wobble away from the alcove, the loud echo reverberating inside his skull, quenching every rational thought.  
All he knew was that he had to get away from here.

\---

“Here Team Beta, commotion in the third subbasement, supposedly sectors A or C. Shall we move in?”  
“Negative. Team Gamma is not yet done securing sectors C and D. Wait for my command. Over.”  
“Wakarimashita. Beta over and out.”

\---

^Everything is blurred.  
My vision, the smells, touches-nothing makes sense.  
Before me I can see another corner, but I can’t decide how far off it is.  
My..perception of depth is somewhat-diffused.  
However, the sound of rappidly approaching steps behind me are that more clear.  
They have found me.  
And I doubt I will get another chance at escape.  
But I will rather die here, fighting for my freedom, than go back into that cage, letting myself being degraded to a number.  
I draw a deep breath, as I hear my would-be captors demand me to surrender.  
As if.  
Raising, I bring up my fists and swerve, cursing, as I lose my balance-^

-and the room around him dropped off to the side, as he fell.  
Everything seemed to happen in slow motion; he could see the two armed men rushing towards him and watched in dull amazement, as the head of the bulkier one suddenly blossomed into a large, crimson cauliflower, spraying bone, brain matter and blood all over the place.  
Before the second guard had a chance to raise his gun, something invisible tore open his throat, litterally ripping out his windpipe.  
Kaiba felt his body go limp, a split-second before he touched ground.  
Laying halfways on his back, halways on his side, the brunet tried to rise into a crouching position, his mind still trying to make sense of the carnage before him.  
A heavy hand came to lay on his shoulder.

°Sometimes, I’m really _blond_.  
Why the hell didn’t I clue in sooner, when those two lackeys so willingly agreed to pay the ‘rent’?  
It doesn’t matter now.  
All that matters, is to get Kaiba to safety.  
Keeping an eye open for any possible haunters, I kneel and reach out for his arm.  
And get the shock of my life, when Kaiba screams like a damned soul and scrambles away from me.°

“Gods, Kaiba, are you nuts? You almost gave me a heart attack there!”  
Crouching, Jou gently moved towards the brunet, who’s yelling had died down to a soft keen and now tried to melt into the wall.   
Slowly pointing the gun to the floor, Jou extended his empty hand palms up towards Kaiba, to show him that he meant no harm.   
The wail stopped, but Kaiba made no intention to relax, if at all, he tried even harder to mold into the plaster-coated steel behind him. In his loose-fitting hospital slacks, the washed-out, cream-white shirt and with the haunted, entirely terrified expression on his face, Kaiba looked like the very picture of enslavement.   
Not wanting to upset him any further, the blond lowered his arm and leaned forwards instead, quietly whispering:   
“Shh, shh, it’s ok, it’s ok, it’s me, Jou. Remember? Jounouchi Katsuya? Uhh, the…third-rate-duelist?”  
Frightened blue eyes stared confused at the blond, then narrowed in disbelief.  
“Bo-boke?”  
Gritting his teeth, as not to punch the panicked brunet in the face, Jou nodded.  
“Yeah, the idiot. I’m here to save you Kaiba, so try to be quiet and-“  
POW!  
The bullet grazed his ear and took a few blond strands with it, but by the time they landed on his shoulder, his attacker was already dead, Jou’s shot having found its mark.  
Mesmerized, Seto gaped at the hard, unforgiving expression on Jounouchi’s face.  
Then the blond’s eyes softened, as he turned to him and murmured:  
“You’re running with a pretty bad crowd these days, Kaib-“  
For the second time in as many seconds, Jounouchi found himself cut short, when the CEO launched himself at his chest and started sobbing hysterically, a few, stray tears ghosting down his pale, hollowed cheeks.

°To be honest, I’m creeped out.  
Yeah, yeah, I know I’ve accused Kaiba of being a cold, heartless, arrogant prick, and I also know that he isn't as emotionless as he puts on, but this, this is…  
Gods, Seto, what did they do to you?  
I’ve never seen him cry once, perhaps his eyes go a tad bit misty when Mokuba switched to Noa’s side for a while, but this is…scary.  
Kaiba is a complete wreck, physically and mentally.  
Not knowing what else to do, I drape one arm around his shoulder and begin to rise, just to be pulled back by sheer force.  
He turns his blue eyes on me, and my heart breaks at the lost, completely desparate look he gives me.  
“P-please, please, Jou, don’t leave don’t-don’t go, onegai, onegai, don’t leave me here…”  
He’s rambling, begging even, and I feel the bile rising in my throat.  
It takes all I have, not to throw up on the spot at the pityful sight.  
Yeah, I wanted revenge on Kaiba, I wanted to make him feel low and dirty, but nothing like this.  
I wanted to beat him on the battlefield, in a duel, and see him walk away in contrite, nursing his bruised pride.  
A fair fight between two equals.  
But he isn’t an equal, hell, he’s not even a _guy_ anymore, just a scared little boy who’s soul was shattered one times too many.  
My stomach lurches, thinking what those sick bastards must have done to him to reduce him to this state.  
Somehow, they managed to do, what I never ever had thought even remotely possible: they broke Kaiba Seto.  
Taking a deep breath to calm down, I lower myself on eye-level with him, when I realise that I’m still holding the cocked gun.  
Securing it, I lift my other hand to gently glide my fingertips over his cheek.  
And choke back a sob, when he instinctly leans into the offered comfort.  
Trying to keep my voice low and soothing, I explain:  
“I won’t leave you, Kaiba, I just want to get you to safety, until the cavalry arrives. But I need for you to stand up and walk to do that. Could you do that…for me?”  
Gods, that was way beyond cheesy.  
But just for good measure, I put a little of the ‘puppy dog look’ into it, not too much, just enough to convince him.  
I’m gonna hurl out every single bite I’ve eaten this week -once I get home- for putting on _that_ act.  
He nods and gives an agreeing mewl, and I have to look away, save he sees the tear rolling down my cheek.°

\--

Amazed, the troopers scanned the high-tech equipment of the miniscule laboratory before them.  
Everything was there; from a simple autoclave to the most advanced MRI, and even an electromagnetoscope, all set up around an operating table.  
And far more syringes, needles and instruments than any well-equipped scrub room should ever claim its own.  
“Helloo, Mengele” mumbled the commander, when one of his soldiers called out to him.  
“Tai-i! Captain, over here!”  
Marching over to where his sergeant was standing, he came to stop before a cage door.  
And almost lost the fight with his lunch at the sight.  
Using the shaft of his gun to shatter the small electronic lock, he rushed inside and knelt next to the lifeless body on the floor.  
He checked for a pulse, then shouted:  
“We need the medics down here, ten minutes ago! And search the area for any other hostages!”

\---

His memory had served him right; the lounge room had not been moved or even used since he last saw it.  
Gently coaxing Seto underneath the large conference table pushed against the built-in wardrobe in the front left corner, he said:  
“Ok, Kaiba, I want you to stay here and don’t move until I come and get you, wakarimashita?”  
The brunet nodded, skidding as far into the dark as the cupboard would allow.  
Meanwhile, Jou searched for something to hide Seto from being spotted the very moment one chanced to look underneath the table.  
Deciding on a shelf from the dust-covered bookcase, he slid the board standing upright between table and floor.  
It was a narrow fit; Jou was so focused on what he did, he almost missed Seto’s hushed question.  
“How did you find me?”  
Pausing, Jou thought about the answer for a moment, then reached into his jacket and pulled out one of the flyers.  
Handing it to Seto, he explained:  
“Dumb luck, I guess. Your brother thought it would be best to turn you into a kitten, so your kidnappers wouldn’t get suspicious when a couple of kids came snooping around the place. I only remembered this place because my father used to work here.”  
The brunet read the article twice, then mumbled:  
“So now I’m a kitten, ne?”  
Jou had to smile despite himself.  
“Yeah, you are.”

°He is.  
The way his eyes dart around, scared, almost haunted, like those of a koneko that has been saved from drowning, trying to figure out what exactly happened and why it happened to him.  
He’s trying desperately to keep his act together, to stay strong, but I know he’s only doing it because of me.   
Because I’m his way out of this hell.  
I retrieve a second shelf in order to combine it with the first to create a make-shift box, in which Kaiba can stay.  
Crouching, I gaze into his face -gods, he looks terrible- and hush:  
“Listen, Kaiba, I’m going to hide you behind these boards -don’t worry, if you need to get out, you can just kick them down. But I’d rather you hide and don’t move until the coast is cleared, ok? I’m gonna see if your sentinels are done capturing all the crooks, then I’ll inform Mokuba and come back to get you. Got that?”   
I’ve never seen a look of such explicit horror.  
“You-you’re leaving me here?”  
“Yes, but-“ I have to fight to keep him from snatching my shirt in a death-grip,   
“but I will be back, as soon as it’s safe to come get you. Until then, I want you to be a good koneko and stay put. Could you do that, Seto?”  
He gives me this desperate look that makes me want to cry.  
“But you will return?”  
Gods, his voice, so little, so uncertain…  
“I will be back.”  
“Promise.”  
“Promise. And you know that Jounouchi Katsuya always keeps his promises.”  
He ponders this a moment, biting his lower lip, his eyes never leaving mine. Finally, he nods.  
“Fine. I’ll wait.”  
I smile and gently caress his shaved scalp, the way I used to do Shizuka’s head, when she was scared.  
Somehow, it just -feels like the right thing to do.  
And Kaiba seems to feel the same, ‘cause he doesn’t even flinch, which sends my stomach flip-flopping again.  
I don’t want to know why there are stitches circling his head, passing from one ear to the next.   
“Good kitty. Now don’t be scared, this boards will keep you save and sound until I return.”  
Or what appears to be pinpricks surrounding his eyes.  
And don’t even get me started on the scars, bruises and whatsoever other wounds on his arms and hands.  
Coaxing the shelf into place, I keep talking to him, soothing, telling him to get some rest while the wait.  
It won’t be too long, considering his private army is most likely done clearing the building.  
Now to inform Mokuba and the others…did I just call him Seto?°

\---

“Basement sections 3 and 4 secured. Moving forwards to sections 5 and 6. Gamma over.”  
“Krr-here Beta, have finished securing fourth floor and now bringing hostages to savety. Delta is hunting down the fox. Over.”  
“Alpha calling all groups. Delta caught the fox and we’re now in search for the dragon. Alpha over and out.”

Twenty minutes later, the Alpha team returned with empty hands.  
Their leader walked over to where Jou stood next to Mokuba and shook his head.  
“We combed every single room in the area you said, but couldn’t find him. Are you sure, he was in the second basement?”  
Narrowing his eyes, Jou snapped:   
“Of course I am! Did you look underneath the table in the lounge room? Behind the-“  
“There was no one behind the pannel, though we saw your traces in the dust. Perhaps he got scared and hid someplace else.”  
Jou merely snorted.  
“He didn’t. I told him not to move, until I arrive…”  
Amber eyes widened, when he realized his mistake.

\---

°Stupid.  
Just plain stupid.  
I crawl beneath the table, mentally kicking myself in the ass over and over again.  
Seto didn’t leave, but he also didn’t make himself known to the troopers.  
Why?  
Because I told him to wait for me and to keep quiet, if anyone else came to look for him.  
Which means, he’s still here, but where-  
My gaze falls on the cupboard before me, and I notice for the first time that it has got sliding doors.  
Could it be..?  
Inching closer to the furniture, I grab the handle, pull -and my breath catches in my throat.  
How on earth did he manage to squeeze himself into _that _tiny space?  
Not even _Yuugi_ would fit in there, but somehow Kaiba managed to curl himself into a bundle small enough to do so.  
Knees tucked under his chin, arms locked around his legs, he stares at me like a deer caught in the headlights.  
He blinks a few times, and then a smile, shy, uncertain and filled with incredible relief, appears on his face.  
And my heart shatters into a thousand tiny pieces.°__

__Forcing a reassuring smile on his own face, Jou tried to colour his voice both amused and friendly, though in his own ears he sounded like a telemarketer selling broken cars.  
“Ja, neko-kun, you’re pretty nimble, ne? How about it, think you’ll manage to get out of there on your own?”  
Reaching out, Jou grasped Seto’s wrist with his hand and helped him out of the narrowed confines.  
It took a while, but finally, both boys sat in the middle of the abandoned lounge room, panting from exortion.  
The blond chuckled.  
“Now I know why Mokuba picked a ca-ughn!”  
All of a sudden, Jounouchi found himself in a crushing hug, courtesy of one very relieved Kaiba Seto.  
The fact, that the Alpha team chose precisely that moment to investigate didn’t help the reddening of his face._ _

__“O-nii-saan!”  
For the first time in weeks, Seto’s eyes flashed with happiness, as he bent to capture Mokuba in his arms.  
Jou watched the affectionate display from a distance, allowing the brothers some privacy.  
Finally, Kaiba let go of his otouto, but kept one arm draped closely around this one’s shoulders. Eyes, once azure and sharp, now pale and slightly glazed, bore into the blonde’s golden orbs.  
“Thank you, Jounouchi. I-I can’t even begin to tell you, how grateful I am for yo-your aid. Rest assured, I will- try to pay you back in kind.”  
Jou’s face turned earnest, when he heard the slight stutter in the CEO’s voice, but decided better than to comment on it. Instead, he nodded once, then turned to face Isono and Nakamura, who were standing just a few steps aside. Handing the firearm back to the security chief, the teen stated:  
“Ja, guess I’ve done my duty. Better take a leave ‘for the federals show up. I don’t like my mug to be seen on the evening news.”  
He walked back to the waiting brothers, drove one hand through Mokuba’s raven mane and gave Kaiba a hesitant pat on the shoulder. To his credit, the brunet didn’t flinch, but couldn’t help stiffen. Again, Jou frowned, then shook his head and gave a small smile.  
“Take care of each other, guys; I’d hate for one of you to get lost or kidnapped again. I’ll tell the others you said hello.”  
With that, Jou walked away as the first police cars and ambulances arrived._ _

__\---_ _

__“-managed to destroy an illegal test laboratory conducting experiments on humans. Several citizens which have gone lost in the past months have been retrieved from the former pisciculture, though neither the police nor the rescue teams have yet given detail about their identities or their states. On a lighter note, all responsible staff have been arrested and are awaiting their trial in less than two months.  
As for the situation in Burma-“  
Jou shut off the TV and smiled. Not one word about Kaiba, his troopers or himself. That was just fine for him. The thought of hundreds of grateful Kaiba-Fangirls storming his flat sent shivers up his back. Being smothered to death was not very high on his To-Do list.  
Stretching languidly, Jou kicked off his slippers and pants and trudged into the tiny bathrom he called his own. After having dutifully brushed his teeth and combed his hair the blond finally padded over to his bed and let himself fall into the faded, comfy sheets.   
Everything would be okay now; Kaiba would recover and be back to his old self in no time.  
With a last, exhausted sigh, Jou fell asleep._ _

__°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°  
And this is where the story ends..for the moment. Don't worry, though, there will be more..._ _


	6. 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Back again, and here's where the fun begins. Kinda. Sorta. Depending which way you look at it...

6

His cell phone went off at one thirty am, the alarm almost launching him six feet in the air.  
Once Jou had managed to detach himself from the ceiling he clung to, he picked up and growled:  
“This had better be real serious, or-“  
“Jou, here’s Yuugi. Listen, Mokuba called me that there’s something wrong with Se-Kaiba, and he doesn’t know what to do. We’ll be at your place in about five minutes.”  
Scratching his head, Jou mumbled:  
“Why didn’t he just call the doctor or the shrink? I mean, they’re the pros and-“  
“Seto kicked him and his therapist out of the house; considering what has happened to him, it’s no wonder he reacts badly to doctors. Ja.”

Despite his head being expertly bandaged, him wearing a blue silk pajama with white dragon embroidery and sporting bags underneath his eyes the size of truck tires, Kaiba Seto had never been more intimidating.  
Crouched on his King-Size bed, the teenaged CEO glared at Yuugi, Honda and Jou, who stood in the doorframe, too scared to move, let alone speak. A low, menacing snarl came fom his throat, and he looked ready to pounce.  
“He’s been like this ever since Kawamoto-sensei walked into the room”,  
whispered Mokuba, who stood between the frightened trio and the furios brunet. Obviously, the young boy had no fear of his brother, but was deeply worried about him.  
He drove one hand over his eyes and explained;  
“When we got home, Seto locked himself in the bathroom. When he finally came out, his head was bandaged and he seemed fairly calm. We –we ate dinner, as usual, and then-then..”  
Mokuba gulped nervously.  
“Isono-san said something about Seto getting examined and-and.. Nii-san almost took his head off. He began to yell at him, then suddenly he-he went ballistic –literally- and threw his food -dishes et all- at Isono. Luckily, Isono has excellent reflexes and managed to duck out of the kitchen safely. Still, we decided to give Seto some rest and called Kawamoto-sensei while he slept.”  
The dark-haired pree-teen tried desperately not to laugh.  
“He sat with Seto a good two minutes, watching him sleep, and when o-nii-san woke up, sensei didn’t even get the chance to say hello, before Seto was at him. He-he actually tried to rip his throat out with his nails…”  
Mokuba begann to giggle in earnest, first quietly, then rapidly increasing in volume. The other boys exchanged looks; obviously the smaller Kaiba was suffering a nervous breakdown. Gently laying a reassuring hand on the younger one’s arm, Yuugi suggested;  
“How about you try to get some sleep and we see if we can get through to your brother, ne? It won’t help any if you- uh-“  
“Go looney on us, too”, concluded Jou cooly. Honda and Yuugi cast the blond angry glares, but Mokuba nodded.  
“You got a point. That’s why I called you. We need someone to stay with him, but he won’t allow any nurses or doctors near him, not even his therapist. And I –I’m..”  
He trailed off, scoffing his schoes. A calloused hand on his shoulder made him look up.  
“Ii desu, ne; we’ll look out for him. You go and get some rest; cause he’ll be twice as pissed when he wakes up. And we’ll need you then to save us from his wrath.”  
The blond rolled his eyes and made a ghoulish grimace. Honda snickered, Mokuba smiled gratefully at him and Yuugi, then walked over to where Kaiba still sat, who intensely watched the scene before him. Climbing onto the bed, Mokuba crawled over to where his ani sat and gave the elder one a hug. For a split-second, the brunet stiffened, then melted into the embrace. Mokuba whispered something into Seto’s ear, the others didn’t understand. The CEO frowned, then nodded, hesitantly.  
With a last squeeze Mokuba was off the bed and walked over to where Yuugi-tachi still stood in the doorframe, apparently flustered and more than slightly embarassed. For a moment, Mokuba’s anger flared.  
“Believe it or not, but nii-san is actually very caring and gentle, even if he doesn’t show it. And yes, he likes hugs. Feel free to laugh.”  
All three teens had the grace to blush, and Mokuba merely snorted. Honda was first to overcome his embarassment and ask:  
“Still, if Kaiba’s so –tactile, why not share the bed with him? I bet it would make him feel, well, less lonely.”  
Mokuba gave the stocky brunet an odd look and sighed anew, before he lowered his voice and said in a conspirational tone;  
“Seto is a very.. lively sleeper. Kicking, punching, pushing, stealing covers… you name it, he’s done it. Last time we shared a bed, he trew me out four times before almost strangling himself with the blanket.”  
Yuugi clasped both hands over his mouth, Honda snorted and Jou grinned. Instantly, the blond sobered up.  
“Which means, we’ll be spending the night on the floor or in this comfy chair, ne?”  
Mokuba shook his head.  
“As a matter of fact, there are two futons in the wardrobe; one of you will keep vigil while the other’s sleep. We’ll-“  
“Whoa, hold it right there, fella, you forgot we got school tomorrow!” interjected Honda. Jou and Yuugi nodded.  
“Yeah, plus, I gotta get up by five-thirty for work-“  
“That’s not a problem,” Mokuba said hastily,  
“we’ll have the drivers take you to school, work, home, wherever you want. We even called ahead and informed your parents that you were staying here for the night.”  
Three sets of brows shot up.  
“Asking wouldn’t have hurt, y’ know?” growled Jou, and Mokuba nodded.  
“I know, it’s just, everything went so fast and I kind of..didn’t know what to do…”  
There was a sad, forlorn, entirely desperate quality to his voice which reminded the three older ones that Mokuba was, all things set aside, still only a twelve years old boy. For a moment, there was a strange atmosphere in the room, only interrupted by Kaibas shifting and rustling with the covers. Finally, Jounouchi broke the uncomfortable silence.  
“Fine. You go ahead and get some rest, I’ll take the first shift. Yuugi, you’re next, Honda last. This way we’ll all get at least two hours of sleep.”  
Honda cocked a brow.  
“And since when are you the one giving out orders?”  
“Since I’m the one with two part-time-jobs, dimwit!” Jou shot back. Yuugi tried to break off the impending arguement.  
“Sounds good to me, and I guess, we all could use some sleep, ne? Let’s just put Kaiba-kun to bed and get some rest ourselves, youroshii?” 

While the decision was easily made, it was not quite as simply put into action.  
Kaiba snapped and hissed at them, when they tried to approach him, shooting death glares right and left and barely uttering a single word that didn’t sound suspiciously like a growl.  
Twenty minutes into the game, Jou lost his nerve, hopped on the bed and, kneeling almost nose-to-nose before the brunet, roared;  
“I’ve had it! Either you shut up and lie down or I’ll drag your sorry ass all the way back to the cage you spent the last six weeks in and leave you there to rot!”  
Seto’s eyes widened to almost impossible proportions –and then the most incredible thing happened:  
Giving a low, shy mewl, the brunet slid underneath his covers, tucked himself in and remained silent. Baffled, the others stared at the now timid CEO. Who in turn kept his blue, uncertain gaze transfixed on the slack-jawed blond.  
“Damn, Jou, how did you do that?” whispered Honda. Jou merely shook his head, slowly.  
“I have absolutely no idea”, he mumbled back; afraid that speaking loud would arouse Kaiba anew. Hesitantly, carefully, he extended one hand and gently caressed the bandaged forehead.  
“O-yasumi nasai, Kaiba-kun. Sleep well and sweet dreams.”  
The body underneath the comforter relaxed; the azure eyes became heavy-lidded and unfocused, and within a few moments, a soft snore filled the room. Yuugi released a breath, he couldn’t recall holding.  
“Well, that went well. Once you get the time, you have to tell me how you managed to tame the dragon.”  
Jou only nodded numbly, still trying to comprehend what had just happened.

He woke up with a stiff neck and an even stiffer back.  
‘Kuso, I musta dozed off’, thought Jounouchi, as he rose-  
The pop, with which his head met the blanket almost hurt his ears. Trying to sit upright, Jounouchi made the discovery that  
A; his upper body indeed lay on the bed and  
B; Kaiba Seto had an iron grip on said body.  
‘Damn, gotta try to get out of this position, before Kaiba wakes-‘  
Amber stared baffled into alert, if not tired blue.  
The brunet was wide awake.  
Jou gulped, gave a shaky grin and rasped:  
“O-hayou..”  
Kaiba cocked his head to one side, still staring intently into Jou’s face.  
Who felt increasingly uncomfortable, least because of the bear hug he was still in.  
Again, the CEO tilted his head sideways.  
“Meow.”  
Jounouchi’s jaw almost dislocated at that sound.  
Surely he had not heard well.  
Gingerly trying to loosen the limbs encasing him, he muttered:  
“Uh, Kaiba?”  
“Mew?”  
Oh, good. At least his hearing was still intact. Which meant that the brunet had finally lost his mind.  
Just peachy.  
Not.  
Still struggling against the hold, Jou rasped:  
“Could you –please- let go.. of me?”  
“Mew.”  
With that, Kaiba pulled Jou even closer, rested his temple against this one’s chest and gave a low, contended rumble.  
And Jou just felt like crying.

\---

°Kaiba is clingy.  
Who’d a thunk?  
If not for Mokuba, he’d probably still be using me as pillow.  
Or teddy.  
On the other hand, it would have allowed me to get some more shuteye, instead of dragging my old bycycle halfways through town to deliver the morning newspaper.  
Well, at least I get to nap at school.°

Anzu nudged her eldest friend, then did the same to Honda. Both boys mumbled something and stirred, but neither one bothered sitting upright. The brunette glanced over to where Jou lay with his head on his desk, snoring quietly, dead to the world.  
Fukui-sensei furrowed her brow.  
"IF the three gentlemen, Muutou, Honda and Jounouchi would be so kind as to direct their attention to my meager person, we could continue with the lesson."  
Yuugi and Hiroto begrudgingly followed the order, slumped in their chairs like soaked zombies. Jounouchi didn't react. The teacher grabbed her textbook and slammed it forcefully on her desk. The loud bang shook Jou from his slumber. Bolting upright, his blurry eyes trained in on the sardonic smiling woman standing at the front of the class.  
"Gomen nasai, to wake you up, Jounouchi-kun. Don't worry, tough, you can continue your nap after school. One hour, or would you prefer two?"  
Jou pressed his lips together, then mumbled,  
"Please only one, sensei. I gotta show up for work tonight."

°Today was hell.  
I just wanna go home, shower and crawl into bed.  
Bed.  
Just the thought of it makes me smile..until I almost walk into a black limousine.  
Why is there a black limousine parked behind my restaurant?  
The passenger door opens, and the riddle is solved.°

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°  
And here. We. Go.


	7. 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just barely skirting the edge of patho-psychoanalisis and a little..domestic life.

7

Kawamoto-sensei tapped his pen against his palm.  
"Hmm, it is not unheard of..especially considering the situation..."  
Jou and Mokuba sat in the psychoanalyst's office, trying to get some answers.  
The blond was sporting several scratch marks on his forearms, where Kaiba had tried to drag him back into his room, when the blond had snuck out for his morning tour.  
According to his younger brother, the brunet had mewled and yowled and moped the entire day, refusing food and being generally listless and miserable.  
Until Jounouchi had returned.  
The transformation had been almost instantanious and baffling:  
the moment Seto caught sight of Jou, his eyes had lit up and he had practically flown down the stairs to envelop the blond in a crushing bear hug.  
Jounouchi had played with him(i.e wrestled), let him watch him finish his homework and then went for dinner.  
And Seto had eaten with great appetite, catching up on the lost meals of the past weeks. Most likely due to the fact that Jou was feeding him, which he obviously delighted in.  
For good luck, Seto had not insisted on the both of them showering together, yet made it pretty clear that he was not thinking of sleep without Jou next to him.  
Cuddled up next to his classmate, he had soon drifted off, a content smile on his face. Once he could be sure that his would-be host wouldn't awake, Jou had risen and gone in search of Mokuba.

The pen met with the writing mat. Kawamoto-sensei steepled his fingers.  
"Of what you have told me, I think we are dealing with a rather uncommon form of regression here. The whole..cat act aside, the signs are all there."  
Mokuba and Jounouchi blinked unsion.  
"Re..gression..?" asked the younger Kaiba. The analyst nodded.  
"Regression usually befalls people who are in high positions and or had a traumatic event during their childhood, which forced them to grow up faster than normal. In case of extreme stress or in this case, physical and mental trauma, the mind returns to a safe time, before said event or events took place. Commonly, people will return to the age of preschoolers or toddlers, when they had little to no responsibilities and were being cared for and protected."  
Mokuba frowned.  
"I..don't tjink O-nii-san ever really had such a time..." The doctor pointed a finger at him.  
"Precisely. Which, I assume, made him retreat into catform. Now, kittens as well as puppies,"  
Mokuba noticed Jounouchi minisculy stiffen,  
"and animal babies in general invoke feelings of protectiveness in us. Kittens, as helpless as they are at birth, soon grow independent. Yet, their life mostly consists of eating, sleeping, playing, exploring and being cuddled. Tell me, Mokuba-san," he adressed the boy directly,  
"how does your brother react to the house staff? Or the staff in general?"  
Mokuba frowned.  
"Jaa. not much different than before. He acknowledges that they are there and lets them do their work, but otherwise mostly ignores them. Well, safe for Isono and Nakamura." The analyst's brows shot up.  
"Oh? And how does his pattern change?" Mokuba weighed his head to and fro.  
"I dunno, he seems more relaxed. And attentive at the same time. If that makes sense. He attempts to read through contracts and-"  
"Wait, wait, he is working again? Already?" cried the psychiatrist. Mokuba shook his head.  
"No, as I said, he tries to. But then he gets dizzy and needs to take a nap."  
Kawamoto-sensei nodded gravely.  
"He should stay away from any complex thought processes until his brain has healed. What they did to him..we're still trying to evaluate the damage."  
"That still doesn't explain why he suddenly likes me."  
Both Mokuba and Kawamato-sensei turned to stare at Jounouchi, whom they had completely forgotten about. The older man cleared his voice.  
"Yes, well, Jounouchi-san, I think you mentioned that Kaiba-san's sudden affection is more than slightly unsettling."  
"It's disturbing! If anything, he should claw and hiss at me, not smother me with hugs and smooches!" growled the blond. Mokuba giggled.  
"Nii-sama..actually tried to kiss you?" Jounouchi reddened.  
"Nyeeh, more like, cat-kisses. You know, rubbing our noses together. Beats me why."  
"He considers you his protector." Two sets of eyes trained in on the doctor.  
"Of what I've been told, you were the one to find and even rescue him? Either way, Kaiba-san now sees you as his defender, the one who will ward off all evil and keep him safe and sound. I wouldn't be surprised if he grew scared-"  
"That's why he keeps crying for Jounouchi!" exclaimed Mokuba, jumping up from his seat. Facing the analyst, he continued,  
"Whenever Jounouchi's gone, Nii-sama just lumbers around the house, moping. As soon as Jou's back -Wham! Seto-nii-san is all games and fun and..well.. _cute_."  
He grimaced at the last word, which made both Jou and Kawamoto-sensei chuckle. Then the blond sobered up.  
"So, money-erhhm, Kaiba thinks I'm his personal hero, or something?" Kawamoto-sensei swayed his head.  
"Have you ever heard of Idealization?" Blank looks.  
"It is rather common and, to some degree, even important for a person's mental and emotional evolution. I mean, we all got our heroes, people we admire, even love to some extent. Again, this here is a more severe case. Kaiba-sa-"  
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold it right there, sensei. Are you trying to tell me, Kaiba's got the hots for me?" queried Jounouchi incredulous. Kawamoto-sensei shrugged.  
"I wouldn't go so far to call it that, but it appears that Kaiba-san in one way or another is enamoured with you."  
He really needed to invest in a thicker carpet. The thud, with which the unconcious Jounouchi's head hit the floor, was cringe-inducing.

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°  
Yup. It's not everyday you learn that your arch-rival has developped a possible crush on you. A very distorted, unhealthy, but still a crush.  
Again, I will gradually be delving deeper into the nature of regression, conditioning and idealization. Stay tuned.


	8. 8

8

Jounouchi let himself ever so gently into Kaiba Manor.  
There was no. Way. In. Hell. He was going to confess to either Yuugi nor Honda about the psychoanalyst's assumptions.  
It was bad enough that Mokuba knew about it, and he would do all he could so it remained that way...  
"Kon-ban-wa, Jounouchi-sama, ohairi kudasai! I'm so happy, you have returned. I'm certain Kaiba-sama will be thrilled, too", cheered the house maid, one Hara Ayako.  
So much for that.  
Forcing a grin through his grit teeth, the blond replied,  
"Arigatou, ne. Ja, how has he been all day?" The young woman looked around in search and said,  
"Well, he has been on and off. Hiding in the strangest places, taking naps throughout the house, being sad and a little.. _gruff_ inbetween, letting his, uhm, _models_ lie around everywhere..."  
She paused, a sheepish expression on her face.  
"He scared me half to death, when I opened the door to the °Futon-dryer and he came walking out of it, as if it were the most normal thing in the world."  
Jounouchi sweatdropped; yep, sounded like a perfectly Kaiba thing to do.  
"Mew." Ayako paled and gulped.  
"Oh gods" she rasped, as she stepped aside and turned to look at her employer.  
"Ko-ko-kon-ban wa, Kai-kaiba-sama. As you see, Jounouchi-sama is back and-"  
For good luck, the Kaiba mansion has a state of the art surveillance system.  
The other employees called Ayako straight-out a liar, when the poor house maid elaborated her witnessing the great Kaiba Seto nearly breaking Jounouchi Katsuya's back with his infamous bear hug.

Bathing.  
Bathing was ok.  
At least as long as they were in their swimming trunks.  
Kaiba, head resting on his forearms placed on the rim of the bathtub, was half-dozing contentedly. Jounouchi, who sat to his right, slowly, gently drove a sponge over the brunet's back. His quasi-patient shivered, then settled again, giving a happy sigh.  
Mokuba, who sat at the opposite side of the immense bathtub, grinned. The blond dunked the sponge again and groused,  
"Didn't know that cats actually like water."  
Mokuba leaned back on his hands.  
"There are several breeds, to my knowledge." Jou grumbled,  
"Do tell." Mokuba leaned forward again.  
"Turkish Van, for example." Jou blinked at him dumbly.  
"Gomen nasai?" The younger boy smirked.  
"Turkish Van are the most famous of water-loving cats. Don't leave your toilet lid open or your pool unattended, or you might find yourself with a drain clogged with cat fur." He snickered, when Jounouchi wrinkled his nose in disgust.  
"Seriously? The toilet bowl? And here I thought cats were all about cleanliness and stuff."  
This time Mokuba giggled.  
"Of course they are; if the bowl is dirty, they won't go near it. But take a stroll around a lake and -chotto!- one kitty in the pond."  
Jounouchi just stared at him, forgetting his ministrations to Kaiba's back. Who gave a protesting growl, making Jou mechanically drive the sponge up and down again.  
Numbly he asked,  
"Are you sure, that's a cat? Because so far, you just described any dog ever."  
A curt pause, as blue-grey met with gold-brown, then turned to look at Seto.  
Who lay there, oblivious to the fact that he was half-expected to make some snide remark about Jounouchi being the one to know all about it.  
Twin looks of worry crossed tanned faces, and Mokuba sighed. Jounouchi nodded.  
"Never thought, I'd miss the day", he stated quietly.  
Seto chose that moment to stretch and yawn languidly. Any wider, and he might have dislocated his jaw.  
Again, twin looks, this time of utter bewilderment, as the older Kaiba rose from the water and, padding on all fours to the towel warmer, pulled the largest one down with his 'claws', spread it on the floor and began rubbing- pardon, _rolling_ himself dry. Mokuba facepalmed.  
"Please. _Please_ don't ever make me see that again." Jou nodded meekly.  
"Only if you promise to take over feeding duty."

Bathed, fed, wrapped in warm blankets and eyes half-lidded, Kaiba Seto lay in his bed, listening to Jounouchi drone on and on.  
Jounouchi, who wore several scratches and even a bite mark on his forearms after the pre-bedtime battle of doom.  
Also known as making Seto brush his teeth.  
Everything had gone flying; toothpaste, whitener, mouthwash, dental floss, followed by towelettes, water sprays, soap, both bar and dispenser...  
The bathroom was a war zone.  
It had only ended once Jounouchi had literally grabbed the brunet by the scrape of his neck, pulled him down to eye-level and snarled in a dangerously low, street-hardened voice,  
"Down."  
That had been twelve minutes ago.  
Now, Kaiba's mouth smelled like a dentist's promotion reel, and he snuggled deeper into the silk comforter, as Jounouchi told him the tales and woes of Domino High.  
His hand never stopped caressing the brunet's bandaged head.

°Oh gods.  
Oh please no.  
Kaiba is treading milk.  
On my chest.  
Well, my upper stomach actually, but it still feels awkward.  
Scratch that, it's totally uncomfortable.  
And makes breathing difficult. I need to shift- kuso, did he just dig his nails in?  
"Se-seto, listen," -sheesh, can we get our hands disentagled, already?-  
"I-I really need to _go_. To the bathroom. Really. If I wait any longer, we'll have to change the sheets. Not to mention my pajama."  
Yup, I'v taken to wearing pajamas. Me, Jounouchi Katsuya, who can make it through three weeks in an unheated bedroom with but a futon and an extra blanket, has to wear nightwear when sleeping in Kaiba's warm bed.  
With him as an extra heater.  
Though, he doesn't exude much warmth, in contrary. His hands and feet are often cold and he seeks my body heat almost constantly.  
His doctor said it's because Kaiba has bad blood circulation.  
Guess, the stay in the cage didn't help that any.  
There is another reason, too. Having morning wood is a completely natural thing for any healthy guy.  
Having morning wood and your former rival's-turned patient's morning wood poking into your hip is confusing and just creepy.

Honda waited for him at the side door when he arrived. Before he could utter a single world, his oldest friend pushed an oddly fuzzy object into his arms and snapped,  
"Ja. He's all yours now."  
Jou blinked.  
"Sheesh, what happened? Kaiba been himself, again?" Hiroto scowled.  
"He yawned at me." Jou blinked anew.  
"Yawned? Don't you mean clawed?" Sighing, Honda proceeded to explain...

 _three hours prior_  
"Ne, Kaiba, daijoubu ka? Yeah, I know, I'm not your favourite guy, but let's make the best of it. I'll do my homework and you just, I guess, help me with it?"  
Seto, who lay on the grand piano that was covered with a thick, soft blanket, merely gazed at him boredly, then turned his head and yawned languidly.  
Honda's brows rose.  
"Ok, fine. You nap, I study. Got it."  
Taking up shop on the large table opposite the piano, Honda was soon engrossed in his algebraic ordeal, when-  
Bap.  
Bap.  
Bap.  
Honda paused in his calculations.  
Bap.  
Bap  
Bap.  
Kaiba was hitting the F3 key. Repeatedly. With precise monotony.  
Honda frowned.  
"Ara, Kaiba..."  
Bap.  
Bap.  
Bap.  
"Ne, Kaiba, think you could-"  
Bap.  
Bap.  
Bap.  
Honda slammed his fist on the desk and got up to where the other brunet lay across the gigantic instrument, boredly tapping away at the keys. Huffing, his guest/bab-err, _cat_ sitter crossed his arms and stated,  
"Listen, I don't mind you not wanting to help me with math, but could you please stop that? Or just play a real tune? You know, something to lift my mood?"  
Deep sapphire eyes gazed unpertubed into pleading dark brown ones. Then Seto opened his mouth impossibly wide, gave a gigantic, silent yawn and rolled over on his side, his back facing Honda.  
Who stood there, baffled, for several moments, then ground out,  
"Ja, that was rude. Fine be that way."  
Closing the piano lid, he returned to his desk, appreciative of the quiet. That lasted until  
Flic.  
Flic.  
Flic.  
Flic.  
Kaiba discovered the blanket had tassels.

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°  
Yes, Kaiba is bein an ass. Then again, cats do tend to have spells of complete asshole-ish behaviour. Plus, this is still Kaiba.

°Futon-dryer: depending on their size, futons can be washed in a big laundry machine or the laundromat. The most important part is letting them dry out thouroughly over several days as to avoid molding.  
I figured the Kaiba household to have its own Futon laundrer and a drying room, where the heavy duvets can hang to expertly dry out. Why Seto found that to be a good hiding/napping place? Ever seen cats around laundry fresh out of the dryer..?


	9. 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Back again, and this time Seto actually gives his two cents..well, kind of. And gets better. Or worse, depending on your pov....  
> Currenty, I'm struggling with Seto's cat behaviour; since I have none, I rely on videos and cat 'owners' to provide me with the insanity that is everyday life with a feline.

9

^Freedom.  
Complete and utter freedom.  
I thought I knew it, when Gozu-zaburo died, but this-  
I can do what I please.  
Go where I like.  
Well, within the mansion, anyways, but still.  
I can spend time with Mokuba, whenever he's not busy running the company.  
I can sleep, scare people, prank them, eat what I please and even enjoy..company. Other people's company.  
People who aren't business related or the press or employees or doc-^

Seto jerked fully awake.  
So lost in his content quasi-haze, induced by his still healing body and the miniscule amount of painkillers his physicians dared to treat him with, he had missed the soft footsteps of his new favourite person coming closer.  
Blue eyes fully alert, body set to pounce, he waited for the door to swing open.  
A long leg, sock-clad and wrapped in blue school uniform pants, moved into view and Seto launched himself off the bed.  
Little more than a flurry of cream and indigo, he zoomed towards the visitor..  
who took a leisurely step aside and let Kaiba breeze right past them, sending the surprised brunet skidding and stumbling and oh-so-elegantly- crashing sideways into the hallway wall.  
Gazing at the panting, confused pile of sprawled limbs, Jounouchi drawled,  
"Y' know, pulling this stunt every single time I come over, does get pretty old, ne?"

Kaiba was highly offended.  
Actually, he was pouting.  
That in itself would not have been too noteworthy, if not for the fact that it was dinnertime. All his doctors had agreed that including fixed mealtimes in Kaiba's dayly schedule would help his recovery, but right now, the young CEO was having none of it.  
With Mokuba respectively Jounouchi sitting at either side, Kaiba was refusing to eat on his own or be fed. They two younger boys had taken turns in trying to get him to open his mouth, but Seto had remained as thick-headed as always.  
Arms crossed on the table surface, face planted firmly between them, he sent glares and scowls at his surroundings; narrowing his eyes whenever one random morsel or another was proffered to him.  
Finally, Jounouchi gave up and, rising from his seat, reached over to where Seto's plate sat next to Mokuba and said,  
"Ja, if he doesn't want to eat, we can't force him. No point in letting good food go to waste. I'll just eat his too, chef can always pepare -hey, where'd my katsu go?"

°Yuugi is staring at me.  
I stare right back at him.  
I can feel my cheeks redden, the heat rising in my ears, but there's nothing I can do about it.  
Kaiba is halfways seated, halfways sprawled across my lap, his face rubbing against my chest. He gives a small noise and Yuugi snorts in disbelief.  
"Did-did he just _-chirp?"_  
Before I can even open my mouth to reply, Seto arches his back and purrs.  
And Yuugi falls off his chair, laughing hysterically.°

"So."  
"So."  
"How is it, being a cat's favourite chewtoy?" Mokuba asked. Jounouchi shrugged.  
"Not that big of a difference, I guess. There's less insulting, less degradation, actual appreciation and even some affection. Also, far less. Fucking. Random. Shit."  
Mokuba gave him a level gaze.  
And then an impish smile.  
Jounouchi's blood ran cold.  
"I had design draw up an anatomically correct Jounouchi Katsuya doll for o-nii-san to play with, while you're gone. Do itashimashite."  
Oh gods, the devil played CapsuleMonsters...  


^Hnn.  
Interesting.  
And very thoughtful, too.  
Then again, it is Mokuba's idea.  
Even the hair is real. Not his, though, but if I can get him to cut off his hair-  
No, I want his hair long.  
But it's soft. And I like the scent. I wonder, though...*squash*rustle* No soundchip...^ 

The shriek resounding through the mansion was priceless.  
Followed by the clatter of silverware and hurried steps of heeled shoes, random calls and shouts coming to the rescue sent the mansion into momentary mayhem.  
The ensuing chorus of surprised and disbelieving voices made Seto's grin widen even further.  
Cuddling deeper into the soft, black blanket on the couch in the lower study, he watched the pendulum clock at the wall tick away.  
Precisely three point eight minutes later, Mokuba came marching into the study, carrying a stern expression and the moving Jounouchi doll.  
"O-nii-sama," he growled,  
"while I'm happy that you like it and thrilled that you're well enough to make your own - _adjustments_ -" the raven-haired boy was clearly struggling for composure,  
"making him sing _Bump and Grind_ and drop his pants is just _wrong_. Wakata?" 

Jounouchi beat his head repeatedly against his desk.  
"I'm not going over there", he grunted into the worn-out surface. Yuugi and Honda, who sweatdropped, tried to console him, but to no avail.  
"Ne, Jounouchi-kun, I mean, it's not that bad, I..guess?" Honda winced.  
"I can't show my face over there, anymore" stated the blond. Before their friend could say something stupid, Hiroto clasped his hand over Yuugi's mouth and decided,  
"We'll cover for you, man. No Prob. We got this."  
"You haven't heard the worst part yet", he muttered and both Yuugi and Honda froze in terror. What could be worse than that?  
Jou turned to look at them through tired, defeated eyes.  
"He ordered a second doll. A Seto-doll."  
His two best friends shuddered at the abyss implicated... 

Mokuba, Isono and Fugata warily watched Kaiba tinker away at the dolls in his in-house lab.  
"Well, at least he seems happy" rumbled the bodyguard. The confidant shrugged.  
"At the moment, every sign of creativity is a sign for the better."  
Mokuba nodded.  
"Hai, but still..." The trio sighed in unison.  
"The doll was a bad idea." 

Muutou Yuugi stood more than a little bewildered in the game room taking up part of the ground floor of the mansion's north wing.  
Kaiba had replicated the Dueling Arena within the former ball room. On a miniature scale, befitting the various dolls of himself and other prime duelists.  
And he had them programmed to reincorporate their most epic battles.  
Right now, Kaiba was facing off against Jounouchi in their post-Battle City fight.  
That in and by itself would have been unsettling enough, but it still begged the question:  
why were Jou and Kaiba the only ones naked? 

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°  
This is deteriorating quickly..no, not the story, but my writing...please let me know if Kaiba's being too weird, here. 


	10. 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another lengthy chapter and a tad bit darker than the previous ones. Enjoy.

10 

"Come back here!"  
The butler had barely time to move aside, when his employer, sporting nothing but trainers, came racing past him, Jounouchi Katsuya hot on his heels.  
"We are going to see the doctor, like it or not!" he heard the blond yell, who was clutching a sweater and t-shirt. The butler, going by the name Fujimori Eiji, tilted a brow, then continued on his way.  
At least the younger duelist had managed to restrict Kaiba-sama's use of those infernal puppets to the CEO's bedroom.  
Poor house maid was still on sick leave.

Kaiba's death glare was back.  
With a vengeance.  
Sitting on Jou's lap, letting this one pet and stroke him, he tried to reduce the psychoanalyst to splinters via his stare.  
Who merely nodded in acknowledgment, then picked up his pen to take notes.  
"So tell me, Kaiba-sama, why did yo decide to slip into the role of a cat?"  
More glaring. The analyst tilted his head.  
"While I understand your..retreat into a younger, simpler age, I fail to see the precise reason for this..atavism."  
Azure narrowed to dangerous slits. Jounouchi hugged the brunet closer.  
"Of what Jounouchi-san and Mokuba-sama tell me, you have taken up inventing again. That is quite a great leap towards recovery, though I would still insist on you refraining from business matters."  
Grey locked with blue.  
"At least until you're past this phase."  
There was an audible growl, and Jou was quick to hush some reassuring word's into his ward's ear. Who visibly relaxed, but still remained cautious. Kawamoto-sensei frowned.  
"So tell me, Kaiba-sama, are there any chances of you resuming human speech?" Turning his nose up at the analyst, Kaiba answered,  
"Mew."

Mokuba pressed the palm of his hand against his forehead.  
This is certainly not what he had wanted to come home to after six hours of yelling at his staff and telling the directors of board where they could stick said one.  
Seto was deep asleep.  
In the study.  
On a pile of blankets, comforters, pillows and what not more.  
Cradling his two favourite naked dolls.  
And sporting an expression, that was so heartbreakingly cute, it made the younger Kaiba cringe in self-hatred when he reached out and shook his elder brother awake.  
Seto drew up, blinking uncomprehendingly, before his eyes focused and recognized his younger brother.  
He smiled, purred, pulled his brother into one of his infamous bearhugs and snuggled up to him, burying the both of them deeper inside the nest.  
And promptly fell asleep again.  
With no way of escape, Mokuba was left to stew in his own indignation, until eventually Isono came looking for them.

Kaiba was moody.  
Or drowsy.  
They couldn't really tell, safe that the tall brunet was quieter and more withdrawn than usual.  
Today the psychoanalyst had instigated the first step of the mental recovery program: hypnosis.  
It had worked well enough, and Seto had complied, up until Kawamoto-sensei had mentioned the cage.  
And then an EF0 went lose in his office.

_Screaming.  
He is screaming, screaming, screaming inside his head, but no sounds leave his mouth. Tears run freely from his eyes, his eyes, forced open by needle-thin throngs, staring at the off-white, tiled ceiling, the blinding white surgery lamp.  
A hose, a tiny, tiny hose, scalpels, thin as paper, a probe, barely the size of a needlehead, and all of them search, rustle, move through his brain, even as a cold, uncaring voice speaks about biopsy and separation and injection and altering and...  
And he claws, trashes, rips, tears at everything, anything, nothing, the chilly air, his restraints, the clamp keeping his jaw wide open-  
White.  
Dark.  
Silence._

°I don't know what happened, but Kaiba has gotten worse.  
Well, not really worse, but he's basically gone autistic.  
Hope I got the right word, there.  
At times, he zones out completely, staring into nothingness, occasionally twitching.  
Then he buries himself in his lab, working five or six projects simultaneously; one weirder than the other.  
Even Mokuba called them downright bizzare.  
Also, he has gone back to walking on all fours, only getting upright when using the stairs.  
And he's also become..no, not clingy, but desperate.  
So much so, he often sleeps with either Yuugi or Honda in the guestroom opposite his bedroom. Mokuba and I are the only ones allowed in his own bed. Though, Mokuba often refuses, and I can see why:  
Seto's sleep behaviour is getting totally out of hand.  
He was a lively sleeper before, but now he's taken up actual fighting, gritting and grinding his teeth, crawling and falling out of bed, panting, screaming silent or shrieking.  
The shrieks are the worst.   
I..just seeing him make these unwordly sounds gives me goosebumps. He's in so much pain, inside his head, but I can't wake him up, no matter what.  
At times, he talks. Endless strings of formulas, numbers, random sentences in random languages(Mokua once told me that, aside of Japanese, English, Mandarin and Korean, Seto also speaks French, German, Sanskrit and Thai. Go figure), he plans battle strategies and sometimes, he sings.  
Now, Seto's got a nice, deep voice, and it would sound decent..the problem is, his musical talent is on par with his fashion sense.  
I swear, the first time I heard it, I thought he did it on purpose. It was so off-key, I didn't know wether to cover my ears or shake him. It's just..the human throat should not be able to produce such noises.°

Honda, forehead resting on his crossed arms, was sleeping in class.  
Given, it was free period, but still.  
Yuugi wasn't much better off, dozing upright in his chair.  
Jounouchi was the only one who looked somewhat alert, since he had skipped his nightly duty in favour of his restaurant job.  
Anzu glared in turn at the trio.  
"You guys really should stop this. Of course it's nice that you're helping Kaiba, but I think you should leave it to the professionals."  
Jou merely snorted; seeing as it had been said 'professionals' who had invoked Seto's nightly episode.

^I wake.  
I'm awake.  
And yet, I am like dead.  
I am floating in this strange part of oblivion between awareness and sleep.  
My body is like lead.  
My limbs are appendages, not belonging to me.  
There are.. _things_ crawling through my brain.  
Whatever they did to my eyes, made me unable to close my lids all the way.  
They have taken sperm samples, several ones.  
Not in a gentle way.  
I cringe, my body doesn't.  
I breath.  
I wake.  
I am dead.^

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°  
Here we get a little glimpse into what 'alterations' were performed to Seto's brain. We will be gradually delving deeper into the matter.


	11. 11

11

"We need to talk."  
Kaiba ignored him.  
Jounouchi scowled, then closed the distance between them.  
Currently, the brunet was playing an odd mix of Solitair and DuelMonsters, brow furrowed in concentration.  
"I know y' can hear me, so stop acting deaf."  
Imperial Seahorse moves on top of Harpy, destroys Axe Raider.  
Jou narrowed his eyes.  
"Stop ignoring me. I want ta help, but ya need to talk to me, Seto."  
A quick flicker of blue. Cyber Dragon on top of Imperial Seahorse. Drop the stack.  
"Seto".  
Obelisk the Tormentor. New pile.  
Jounouchi was running ou of patience, rapidly.  
And Seto out of time.  
If he kept refusing to cooperate with the medical experts, chances were that the directors' board would deem him unfit for carrying out his duties as CEO of KaibaCorp and push him off his seat.  
And even if Mokuba managed to wrestle the position of president from their greedy hands, it would still weaken the company's stock value.  
Even now, the investors were only being kept at bay due to producing Seto's infamous duelist dolls on a highly exclusive, extremely limited scale. At 300'000Yen per piece -for the cheapest- they were highly sought after collector items.  
Currently, they were negotiating with Playmotiv about designs for a miniature home version of a Duel Arena.  
But these were mere trinkets, just idle stalling, and everyone knew it.  
Jounouchi leaned forward, even as Seto placed Lord of the Dragons on top of Panther Warrior.  
"Seto, either you talk, or I'll leave. It's your choice. But I'm not putting up with your shit anymore. You can be as catty as you want, but talk. To. Us."  
The brunet had stopped mid-move during Jounouchi's small speech.  
Jou could see his pupils undilating, sweat breaking out on his forehead and the brunet's breath quickening.  
Long, elegant hands began to tremble ever so slightly, then the cards fell from nerveless fingers.  
Seto turned to look at Jou with a such a horrified expression, it made the blond's stomach knot up with guilt.  
Shivering, the brunet held out his arms and, pulling him gently closer, locked Jounouchi in a tight embrace; practically trying to cuddle deeper into the blond's body.  
Who returned the hug, soothingly driving his arms over Seto's still narrow back.  
And then, almost inaudible, Jou heard,  
"Ii desu."+

Yuugi sweatdropped.  
Seto regarded him cooly.  
"You play like a frog in a blender. Are you sure, you know what you are doing?"  
The star duelist shrugged, grinning sheepishly, then moved his figurine.  
Seto groaned, rubbing on hand over tired blue eyes.  
Perhaps playing chess had no been the best of ideas. He had difficulties focusing on the abstract nature of the game and struggled with precalculating moves. Still...  
"And you are certain, that you're the King of Games?" he bit, arms crossed over his chest.  
"Because right know, I feel inclined to throttle you and have you banned from all and any chess boards in existence."  
Yuugi frowned and pursed his lips, as his knight threatened Seto's rook. The brunet removed the offending figure with his bishop and leaned back.  
"Checkmate", muttered Yuugi. Seto blinked.  
How-when-?  
His rival moved his last pawn onto F8 and switched it with his lost rook. Seto groaned. By removing his bishop, he had brought his king into the crossfire of Yuugi's queen and newly resurrected rook.  
It was a pure beginner's trap, and he had walked headalong into it. Yuugi smiled apologetically.  
"Gomen, ne, I thought you were up to form again, and I know how much you hate being, well, cuddled, and.."  
He trailed off, as Seto waved an impatient hand.  
"Whatever. I spent all day working on my new project, and-" he stifled a yawn, and Yuugi took it as he cue to leave.  
"Ne, I'm off, but Honda-kun should be around anytime soon. Try not to drive him insane, ne?"  
Seto nodded, eyes already drooping closed.  
By the time Yuugi had cleared up the chessboard and pieces, his patient was fast asleep.

"Why are you being so difficult?"  
Mokuba was far more than annoyed, because his ani was refusing to eat. His head and arms resting on the dining table he was dozing lightly, much to his brother's and Jounouchi's chagrin. The blond huffed and stated,  
"Never mind how tired you are, you still gotta eat. You'll never recover if you keep skipping meals."  
Seto merely grunted grumpily. Jou was having none of it and, pulling the brunet up into an upright position, ordered,  
"Eat. Drink. Then you can go to bed and sleep in until lunch, for all I care."  
Seto swaying slightly looked with open disinterest at the mouthful of shrimp and soba balanced on the chopsticks. He made to move away, but Jounouchi was faster.  
Hooking his own arms over Seto's, he kept him in place, enabling Mokuba free pass to the older Kaiba's face.  
The brunet struggled and tried to slip out of the hold, but Jounouchi was on to him. Clasping both of Seto's pale, slender wrists in an iron grip, he pushed the brunet forwards and up, making this one wince.  
"Ok, neko-chan, here's the deal: you eat five bites from everything that's on your plate, drink your fill and then you can bunk on your bed or the couch or the backseat of the limo, if you like. Agreed?"  
Scoffs and complaints and snarls and growls emitted through the kitchen, but eventually Seto's plate was almost empty and the brunet on his way to his bedroom.  
Only, he never made it there.  
Somwhere between the staircase and his door he collapsed against the wall, sagged in on himself and fell asleep, partly kneeling, partly lying on the carpeted floor.  
Luckily, Jou and Mokuba found him before he managed to catch a cold.

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°  
Yes, things are going slow, but will eventually pick up again. As for the Duel Monster Solitaire...ask Seto.

+Ii desu: Agreed/Okay


	12. 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sheeesh, this didn't take forever to update. Anyways, back with more oddities, more randomness and a plot twist. Enjoy and please R&R

12

Seto was eyeing him.  
Eyeing him like a piece of meat.  
Jounouchi, sitting over his homework, fidgeted slightly.  
Kaiba was getting both better and worse.  
Better, because he was eating properly and grudgingly agreed on his weekly checkup.  
Worse, because according to the surgeons, his temporal folds and lobes were degenerating.   
It explained both his emotional imbalance as well as the sudden and forceful sleeping spells that often claimed him out of nowhere.  
His brain was trying to repair, to minimize the damage, but the decay seemed unstoppable.

"How much time do I have left?"  
Kawamoto-sensei shrugged and sighed.  
"A couple of years, several months, a week or two...basically, you could wake up tomorrow to find yourself little more than a vegetable. We can't really tell."  
He sifted unseeingly through Seto's health chart.  
"Again, it is almost impossible to assert the entirety of the damage done to your brain. We have a certain idea, thanks to the minute documentation, but reverting the progress...I doubt we could make it any better without making it worse."  
He looked up and into Seto's eyes.  
"I..I am so, so sorry, Kaiba-sama."  
Deep azure orbs, now indigo and tired, closed in resignation.  
"Arigatou, sensei."

°Precisely at four thirty am, my wake-up goes off.  
Patting across the nightstand to shut it off, I yawn and stretch, set the bedlamp on the lowest possible glow, then turn.  
Well, look who snuck into bed last night. I can't help but smile; sleeping peacefully, with but the slightest shimmer of fuzz covering his head, Seto looks absolutely adorable. No one would think that this cute teenage dream is one of the more ruthless CEO's at daytime. Gently, I lift the covers...  
He is stark naked.  
My eyes bulge, because, well, aside of the obvious.   
Kaiba is hung.  
I can't help the smirk cross my face.   
Looks like we got more in common that being just extremely protective ani and passionate duelists.  
Though I'd rather keep that to myself.  
Cautiously, I slip out of bed and bundle my pajamas up to stuff back under the covers as a substitute. Immediately, Seto reaches out and snatches the soft ball to his chest.  
Guess somebody's been faking it. Bending down, I kiss his forehead the way I used to Shizuka's when we were little, and whisper,  
"Go back to sleep, neko-chan. I'll be back after dinner."

"I'm going to kill him."  
Yuugi looked worriedly at his friend.  
Honda Hiroto looked as if he'd just been through hell and back.   
His usally pristine mockhawk was tousled and dripping.  
Instead of his school uniform respectively attire of jeans, sweater and leather jacket he was sporting an ensemble of tight anthrazit cord pants and a deep grey turtleneck.  
Almost dreading the answer, Yuugi asked timidly,  
"Na-nani o shite? What happened to you?" Dark olive eyes closed in ill-supressed fury, then Honda snarled,  
"Pool party. In the bathroom. After he threw a bottle of carmesine number five at me because it clashed with the colour theme of his painting."  
Yuugi's brows shot up.  
"I didn't know Seto-kun could paint."  
"....you're entirely missing the point here."

What. On. Earth.  
Jounouchi stood in the main hall, gaping at the huge mound of matresses, futons, comforters, pillows and what not more piled shoulderhigh next to the stairs. Stepping closer, he tried to wrap his mind about what he was seeing, when he caught a movement just above him.  
Tilting his head back, the blond's jaw dropped.  
There, on the railing of the gallery, stood Seto, obviously ready to jump.  
Jounouchi scurried and scrambled up the makeshift jumping cushion, the very moment Seto spread his arms wide open and let himself drop forward.  
The brunet collided heavily with the blond attemtping to catch him, their impact forcing the various bedware to slip aside and the two boys ending up in a chasm, almost at the bottom of the mound.  
Jou panted, Seto gave a small content meow.  
"Don't..ever..do that again, wakata?" gasped Jounouchi, buried beneath his ward.  
Who gave him a curious glance, tilted his head and purred.  
Then he began to shift, leisurely rubbing his entire body against Jounouchi's, still purring. The other duelist gulped; surely Seto wasn't trying to..?  
And Seto promptly fell asleep.  
He didn't wake up, when Jou tried to wriggle free, he slept through the blond's frantic calls for help and only awoke several hours later in his bed.  
He yawned, padded over to the bathroom to brush his teeth, crawled into bed and went back to sleep.

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°  
Yes, I decided to take that route. It does explain Seto's sleeping spells and surplus strange behaviour.


	13. 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Back with another chapter and more Seto weirdness. Extreme weirdness. Read and enjoy!

13

Jounouchi stared at his vis-a-vis.  
"What..did you just call me?" Seto shrugged.  
"Tora-kun. It does fit you, ne? You are extremely territorial, secretly a loner, but amazingly protective of those you care about. And don't give a dime about what people think of you. Not to mention the fact that you can kill with little remorse, if need be."  
Jou sweatdropped; so far his ward was doing a lousy job of painting a positive picture of him.  
"Nyyeeeh, I wouldn't exactly consider myself that cold. I mean, it wasn't as if I'd had any choice in order ta save you, so-"  
"I am not reffering to the fact that you shot these two guards. That was a necessity. But you walked away from that scene as unpertubed as if you had just crushed a cockroach. No guilt, no self-recrimination, not even a mentioning in passing-by. If I didn't know any better, I would say you have all but forgotten about it."  
Jounouchi's expression darkened.  
"I haven't forgotten it. And I do regret killing them, because they were just doing their job. But it was either them or us. So, before you go around accusing me ta be some kind of homicidal gun-guy, you'd better remember I'm the reason you're sitting here trash-talking me."  
Seto regarded him quietly for a moment, then gave a half-smile.  
"You're very sexy when you're angry, you now that?"  
Jou blinked in bafflement, even as Seto rose from his seat and, giving a smug grin, sauntered off.

Yuugi just stared at him.  
Then he fidgeted a little and pursed his lips.  
"Jaa, when are you going to tell him?" he asked timidly. Seto, who was busy..improving his dolls, scowled.  
"Tell whom what?" he asked, focused on adjusting the -sizes of Jou and himself to their real-life counterparts. Yuugi sweatdropped, when Seto added more Monster Clay to the blond puppet's crotch and started prodding it with a toothpick. He winced and, crossing his legs, continued,  
"Jounouchi. When are you going to tell him that you, well, like him?"  
The brunet paused in his ministrations, his brows furrowing.  
"Whenever the time is right."

"Oh, fuck me!" exclaimed Honda.  
Seto's eyebrow barely twitched.  
"I'd rather not", he drawled lazily.  
Honda had brought him his entire homework for the past two weeks and the other brunet had just breezed through it. While Hiroto was still struggling to make a dent into his history worksheet, Seto was dotting down the final questions to their calculus problem.  
"You know, this actually beats sitting in class", he mused, as he reached for his sketchbook and began making notes on some new device or another(Mokuba watched with great trepidation at the outcomes of his ani's brainstorming sessions).  
"You bring me the homework and take it back. This way I don't have to waste time sitting in."  
Hiroto sniffed.  
"You know that's beside the point, right? The reason you're supposed to attend is to improve your social skills."  
Blue eyes bore into chestnut-olive ones.  
"Are you implying that I have inferiour social skills?"  
This time, Honda couldn't help the snort.  
"Please. Non-existent is more like it."  
Sto glared, opened his mouth for a sharp reply..and his eyes unfocused, as his jaw went slack. He wobbled slightly in his chair, then tilted to one side.  
Hiroto grabbed him by the shoulder and shook him softly, then gaped in surprise.  
Seto was fast asleep.

"You are crazy."  
Seto merely shurgged his shoulders.  
"You are completely. Insane." The brunet didn't even bother to react, but furrowed his brow in concentration.  
Jou drove one hand over his face. Next to him, Mokuba just stared in stupefied horror at the contraption his ani had designed.  
Currently, it was still on paper, but the young CEO was already picking out the required materials to build models.  
Finally, Mokuba drew a deep breath and stated,  
"I prohibit you to build these abnormalities. Are you completely nuts?!?"  
Seto gave his little brother a cursory annoyed glance.  
*Mind your manners, Mokuba. I am still your older brother and CEO-"  
"You are not. At least certainly not know! I am the interim president, and as such I forbid this -project! Have you lost your mind?" Jou snorted, Seto cocked a brow.  
"I fail to understand your problem." Mokuba balled his fists and bit,  
"We are _not_. Installing. A Blue Eyes themed. Tunnel of Love. In KaibaLand."

He felt..awkward.  
Not in a bad kind of way, but still..foreign.  
His skin was itching, he grew more impatient and fidgety(not that he was apatient person per se, mind you), and he began snapping at people more often.  
Of course, this was a welcome change -or actually return to his normal self, but more often than not it was completely excessive and borderline abusive.  
Kaiba Seto was gradually clawing his way back to his normal self, but it in completely unpredictable bounds, leaps, falls and relapses.  
One day, he conducted an online meeting with the tech team discussing the implimentation of audio-vibratory sensors into the latest version of the Dark Sanctuary Horror Ride.  
The next day, he was practically bouncing off the walls, clawing at Yuugi, Honda and just about anyone else save for Jou, Isono and Mokuba.  
And at other times, he felt..leisurely. Sensual. Sleek and smooth like silk and with an almost unquenchable desire to wrap himself around something. Or someone.  
Preferably Jounouchi.  
He loved waking up next to the blond, to snuggle up to him before falling asleep, to hear the other duelist moan and sigh in his sleep.  
Jou excited him. Aroused him. Stirred his want, his need, his desire.  
Yuugi was right.  
It was time to make his move.

"Nan datte-?"  
"He's totally out of his mind!" shouted Mokuba into his cell, making Jou wince.  
"O-nii-sama just decided to call off all meetings and threw out Honda and Yuugi and half the live-in staff for the night and has locked himself into his room! And you're the only one left with a spare key!"  
Jounouchi sighed; it was not the first time Seto had confiscated all the keys to his bedroom and shut himself in.  
Jou reassured Mokuba he was on his way, then hung up and notifed the locksmith.

°Oookaay, I don’t know wether to laugh my ass off or run screaming in horror.  
Seto’s standing on the rail of his bedroom balcony, caterwauling for all it’s worth.  
And no, I don’t mean singing, but miaowing a mewing like a horny cat.  
“Seto, knock it off!”  
He just keeps going at it, so I see myself forced to play animal trainer.  
Taking a deep breath, I shout:  
“Neko-chan, come down and get inside this very minute!”  
Immediately, the howling stops, and Seto glances over his shoulder to look at me.  
His face lits up in what I can only call an adorable expression, and he cheers:  
“I knew you would heed my call, if I only sang loud enough!”  
Before I can ask what the hell he did that for, he turns around cautiously, and the reason is in plain sight.  
Or rather, the bulge in his pants is in plain sight, seeing how he’s standing a good meter higher than me.  
Oh well, at least he did the caterwauling for all the right reasons.  
“Get in, now, or you’ll be sleeping all alone tonight!”  
That threat works every time; Seto pouts and scurries into the bedroom double time, me following at a slower pace, closing the balcony door behind me.  
What happens next, is so unexpected, I can’t even follow.  
Seto pounces me, pinning me to the wall, and begins to nip and nibble at my throat.  
Ok, time to come up with a new plan.  
However, thinking is not that easy when you got a horny, deranged, hormone-driven, teenaged CEO trying to peel you out of your clothes, rubbing his cheek against your face and chest in a very affectionate manner.  
I open my mouth, but he’s twice as fast at opening my shirt, and suddenly his lips are on my left nipple.  
“Oh, shit!”  
Didn’t expect it to feel that good, but I can’t do it.  
It would be plain wrong.  
Never mind how right it feels.  
Carefully detaching myself from Seto, I try to keep his hands -and my libido- in check and negotiate:  
“Listen, listen, Seto-listen! Behave yourself, ok? If you’re a good kitty and behave, I’ll treat you to some cream, ‘kay?”  
Seto’s head shoots up, eyes blazing, and I realize exactly how my words must have sounded considering the situation.  
His hand is on my crotch before I can even blink, kneading and rubbing playfully.  
“Seto, stop it. You don’t know what you’re doing.”  
He just stares at me, and for a split-second, there is a little of the old Kaiba flashing through his eyes, when he purrs:  
“Yes, I do. I want you.”  
Shit.  
I’m here because the shrink decided I’d be best designated to console Seto, but this would be taking advantage of him.  
I mean, he’s still in therapy-recovery-fuck, where the hell did he learn to do that?

“You like that, don’t you, tora-kun?” whispered the brunet, letting his tongue circle Jou’s earshell.  
The blond shivered, then ordered in a gravely tone:  
“Get on that bed, now.”  
With a gleefull chirp, Seto hurried to comply, disshelving himself of his pants in the process.  
Laying naked on his back, he gave Jou a sensual gaze.  
Eyes, normally amber and soft, now dark and hard with lust and anger, drank in the sight before him.  
Jounouchi’s voice, however, was colder than ice, when he snarled:  
“I want you to put on your boxers and go to sleep. And if you ever touch me again, I’ll leave and never return.”  
Upon the CEO-turned-kitty’s shocked expression, Jou turned on his heel and rushed out the room.  
He couldn’t stomach witnessing the heartbreak which was surely to follow.

°I had to get away from him, save I’d done something we would both hate myself for afterwards.  
I didn’t mean to run out on him, but this is far more than I can handle.  
How am I supposed to resist that-that invitation; I mean, he practically offered himself to me back there.  
Talk about an instant hard-on.  
Fuck, that show would have turned the chastest nun into a raging nymphomaniac.  
Seeing him touching himself; watching his long, elegant fingers trailing his pecs, playing with his-  
Ok, time to focus, Jou.  
First: call Kawamoto sensei.  
Second: have Mokuba keep an eye on his brother.  
Third: step under the shower and don’t come out, until your toes freeze off.°

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°  
In all honesty, the seduction part of this chapter was written literal years ago, but until now I failed to connect it to the rest of the story. So, this is a huge burden off my chest. Yet, it begs the question: what next, Jounouchi Katsuya?

**Author's Note:**

> This story will be partly told from Jounouchi's pov, dotted with some of Seto's thoughts. Look out for the ° and ^.


End file.
